


Christmas Only Comes Once A Year, But I Will Love You Every Hour of Every Day

by prediabetic_stick



Category: Gintama
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, M/M, old dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prediabetic_stick/pseuds/prediabetic_stick
Summary: Hijikata reminisces about the past. Gintoki is right beside him, teasing Hijikata throughout forty years of dumbassery.
Relationships: Hijikata Toshirou/Sakata Gintoki
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37
Collections: Gintama Mini Secret Santa 2020





	Christmas Only Comes Once A Year, But I Will Love You Every Hour of Every Day

**Author's Note:**

> Ah. This is my first time doing an event, so I hope I did okay. I'm not the best at writing, but alas this is what I can do.

Noontime. Sunlight spills from the cracks of windows, warmth contrasting with the cold of winter. A small pine tree sits in the middle of a kotatsu with bits of color sprinkled on top. A bowl with oranges sits right beside along with the scraps of orange peel scattered around the top of the kotatsu table.

Two geezers are cuddled up next to each other under the blanket of the table. One has silver hair dulled with age, and the other has greying raven hair. One of them leans his head slightly to rest on the other’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around his partner.

“Merry Christmas, Toshirou,” he whispers. Fondness is written on his face as he takes his free hand to wrap it around the other. Toshirou quickly averts his gaze and blushes, fumbling to get a cigarette.

“Merry Christmas.” He lights his cancer stick, taking a drag. “Gintoki.” The way he says those simple words was shy and clumsy, but Gintoki would want it no other way. He looks back at Gintoki to headbutt him in the most affectionate way a headbutt could be. Time stops for a moment, and the two stare lovingly at each other.

“Anata,” Gintoki whispers.

“Mm?”

Time stills as they climb deeper in each other's eyes, pulling closer and closer together, their lips almost touching-

“Your cigarette is blowing smoke in my eyes. It hurts.” Toushirou stops for a second to look down. The realization dawns on him, and he fumbles backward, drowning in the shame of ruining their moment. “Mm. That reminds me…” Gintoki brings a hand up to stroke his thinning natural permed hair and gets up, moving toward the kitchen.

Toushirou sits up after collapsing from embarrassment, the sight of a severe lack of Gintoki right beside him. He flops on the table, watching Gintoki’s back get farther and farther away until he disappears from the living room. By now, Toushirou has seen this same view of Gintoki time and time again.

In the first month they were together, Toushirou was the one to get up early and escape. Soon after, as the distance between him and Gintoki closed, Gintoki was the one to get up first, always coming back to his Toshi with some food or Jump manga.  _ Huh. That’s nostalgic.  _ Toushirou loses himself in thought before falling asleep, lulled by the kotatsu.

-

Year One

Steam escaped from a cup of hot chocolate the Yorozuya held, illuminated by the bright lights from both indiscriminate adult services and holiday festivities that covered every square inch of Kabukicho.

“Thought you had work today.” There was no eye contact, but Hijikata approached closer to him and eventually stood right next to the man with one hand a millimeter away from the other.

“I do.” There was a small smile Hijikata caught out of the corner of his eye on the Yorozuya's face. Something warm filled him up inside at that detail, and he pulled out a cigarette to quell the feeling. Soon, two matching streams of grey flew through the night air, twisting and tying around each other.

“Thank you.” One hand brushed against Hijikata’s.

“For what?” In return, Hijikata closed the gap between their hands. They were now touching, but the bridge was barely a small patch of skin, sharing the small amount of warmth between them.

“Don’t make me say it, you jerk. You know.” The Yorozuya chuckled a bit after. Yeah. Hijikata knew, knew it all too well. For a while, they stood there. Sipping followed an inhale of smoke, their hands bridging the gap as they did.

Finally, the Yorozuya turned around to Hijikata, looking at his eyes for the first time that night, and put down his cup. Every time their eyes met, Hijikata got lost in those deep, solemn reds, entranced by their subtle beauty. The silver-haired man pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around him. Eventually, their heads rested on each other, eyes closed and embracing the warmth.

“Oogushi-kun.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you… again.”  _ for skipping work for me, for coming here to stand in silence.  _ Words were left unsaid, nonetheless all too clear to perceive. Hijikata blushed slightly at the sentiment. “Mm. Otae is holding a party, and I gotta head back.” The Yorozuya pulled him a bit closer before letting go and walking away.

Geez. Hijikata skipped patrol and ended up being the one left alone instead. What a horrible man. Too bad Hijikata was head over heels with this selfish bastard. Despite the Yorozuya leaving, a small warmth gathered in his stomach, and his cheeks flushed.

Hijikata took a drag of his cigarette and walked back, a little more hop in his step than before. He looked up. ' _ This might not have been such a bad idea in the end.'  _ The thought crept into his mind before he noticed an odd emptiness in his pockets. The wallet! Where was his wallet?

“YOROZUYA!” He let out a war cry before he turned around and chased after where the other man went.

-

Year Two

“Sakata.”

“Hm?”

“What the hell are you doing?” Gintoki’s hands were busy in Hijikata’s hair doing  _ something _ while he was busy doing paperwork _. _ Every so often, Hijikata could feel his hair tugged to the point of sharp pain. He could tell his hair was being braided or something close to that.

“Decorating my Christmas tree.” That answer just confused Hijikata more. Besides, Gintoki paced around the room and started his search for  _ something.  _ Hijikata turned his head to see what Gintoki was desperately searching for, but, somehow, his head weighed more than it should.

“Ah! Here it is!” Gintoki whipped out a small mirror from one of Hijikata’s drawers. He fast-walked back to Hijikata with the mirror and shoved it in Hijikata’s face. Once he got the chance to push it further back from his nose, the raven-haired man was greeted with the sight of small Christmas ornaments, topped with a tiny star, entangled all over his head. That damned bastard always took it to the next level.

“...”

“So? What d'ya think of it?” Gintoki’s eyes were sparkling with pride and a sprinkle of something else dulled by his regular, lazy face. Gintoki dropped the mirror slightly, peering over to look at Hijikata’s reaction.

“Horrible.” He wanted to crumble that small sparkle in those dull eyes and throw it out the window, never to be seen again. The ornaments fucked up his hair so bad that it almost reached the level of messiness Gintoki had when he woke up that morning. (Not that he noticed or anything)

“Geez,” he drawled, voice lazy, maybe with a small tint of disappointment. “No need to be so uptight y’know.” He shifted over to Hijikata’s back, his hands resting on his shoulders. “I thought you needed some more color in your life.” His hands slowly massaged the man's shoulders until all the stress melted away, much to Hijikata's displeasure.

“I’m not uptight,” he grumbled very softly. It was difficult to stay angry when his shoulders felt the best they had in what felt like decades, even with the equivalent of bird shit on his head. “I just… Mm… Go over to my neck a little…” Gintoki traversed his skin with those magic hands and started killing all the junk that piled up over the last week. “Wanted to tell- Yeah, right there- the truth.”

“Hm?” Gintoki leaned over. “The truth you say?” His mouth whispered in Hijikata’s ear. “You don’t look so displeased right now, Tou-shi-rou.” He received an elbow to the face in reply, tumbling over dramatically on the tatami. Hijikata stood up, dusting his pants off and glaring at Gintoki.

“I’m actually very displeased right now, idiot. Is this really what you snuck into the barracks for?”

“Uh… Yes?”

“You fucking lower than dirt on the ground scum. I am going to drag you out, right-” A small giggle from the floor interrupted the threat. A giggle? Was Gintoki an elementary grade school girl making fun of the class nerd with his friends? “You jerk! What’s so funny?!”

“It’s-” Gintoki giggled a bit. “You’re trying to lecture me while you’re so festive up cheerful right above that notorious furrow." He laughed again, got up, and walked over to Hijikata to put a finger between his eyebrows. Hijikata relaxed the moment the warmth touched him. “There. Now you only have one V.” He tensed again.

“Why you-”

Gintoki caught his lips and kissed him softly. “Relax for a bit, my little Christmas tree.” Hijikata caught his lips again and kissed him harder, forgetting all the fuss about what was on his head.

-

Year Three

It was Christmas. Just like the year before and the year before that. Yet, today felt emptier than usual. Kondo was away doing something with Matsudaira. Sougo disappeared. Gintoki was gone with no more than a couple of words that he left with Hijikata and the remains of a small peck on the lips.

He tucked into an empty futon, too big despite being the right size for one person. ' _ It’s cold.'  _ Hijikata laid in bed for a while, looking at the ceiling until a phantom warmth that embraced him softly lulled him to sleep.  _ Gintoki. Come back to bed. _

-

Year Five

It was almost like those two years when they were separated never existed. Gintoki was still the lazy scumbag, and Hijikata was still the stoic, hardworking man who loved this embodiment of the sin of sloth.

"Don't 'cha think it's kinda late to ask for my present?" he spoke between slurps of strawberry. "Today is already Christmas day. You know that right?"

"I-I knew that."

"You forgot didn't you?"

"No! I didn't!"

"Well, whatever." Gintoki moved his leg onto Hijikata's lap and flipped to the next page of his Jump. Softly, he whispered, "You already gave me the best gift I could ever have."

"Hm?" Hijikata took his chance to tease Gintoki. He heard it loud and clear, and the effect tried to color his face red. Despite being embarrassed, he kept the flush down and played it cool to the best of his ability.

"Nothin." Gintoki flipped to the next page without blushing, stuttering, or anything close that showed vulnerability.

"Gintoki." Hijikata's trump card was always Gintoki's first name. "You know you can open up to me, right?" He leaned over to the other, pushing his Jump down, so the two met face to face. "Tell me what you said, please?" Internally, there was a battle between his mind between common sense to stop and the want to see Gintoki flutter.

"Kagura is coming back soon, so I should probably get dinner ready." Gintoki put down the Jump and got up, stretching his arms and making a move toward the kitchen. "She always makes a fuss about not being able to eat the moment she gets back. Shinpachi and Otae are also coming back this evening with some food, so it'll look bad if I don't prepare-"

Hijikata tugged on the edge of Gintoki's yukata.

"C'mon. Just tell me what you said." His puppy eyes activated, and his bullshitting power level broke the stoic personality he held for all these years. "Please?"

"Geez." Gintoki ran a hand through his hair and cupped his fluffy head in disappointment. "You're so needy." He pulled Hijikata's cheeks and sighed. "Fine. I'm- I'm happy you're with me today. I don't need a present because you're here." Gintoki bent down to cup Hijikata's red cheeks.

Hijikata closed his eyes and shot up to kiss Gintoki, wrapping his arms around the other suddenly. Two red faces shone from the bland room, and Gintoki was in a state of shock.

"Gintoki! I-I love you!"

"Huh?!"

-

Year 10

Tapping. Tapping. Tapping. Tapping. Tapping. Tapping. Tapping. Tapping!

“Gintoki! Will you stop tapping your god damned foot on the floor?!” Hijikata screamed, and a large vein bulged out of his head. Gintoki slammed headfirst into the table and melted in a sorry puddle of tears. "I know Shinpachi and Kagura are late to come back to you, but this is ridiculous!"

"My kids- The brats I took in after they held my strawberry milk hostage are coming back, Toushirou!" Gintoki reached for a tissue, blew his nose, and wiped his eyes. "They're late! When did I raise them to be like this?!" Gintoki put the back of his hand to his forehead for dramatic effect.

"Considering their surrogate father is a lazy, sloppy, messy, shitty excuse of a furball, much less a human being, this exactly the type of behavior I expect." Hijikata clicked his tongue and went back to his work, reading over the excuses of reports the Shinsengumi officers turned in. 

"Toushirouuu. You know you raised them too, don't you? Why am I getting all the blame?"

"How would they ever in a thousand years inherit lateness from me?!"

"You know. Back in the day, you always were late to our dates." Hijikata hit him on the head in response.

"Bullshit. We never even set up times to meet up anyway. How was I supposed to know?" Hijikata lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Plus, I did work late at night, cleaning up the messes of your joui buddies."

"I was sending messages with the power of love! They say the power of love is the strongest. And Katsura quit that joui business ages ago."

Ding Dong.

Muffled voices screamed from the other side. Right after, the door collapsed under the weight of a bold, tall woman and a dog so large it peeked through the roof.

"Gin-chan! Why didn't you let me in immediately?! Sadaharu and I are gonna get cold in the snow!"

"Kagura-chan! I told you not to bring Sadaharu into the house!" Shinpachi trailed Kagura into the house with an exasperated look on his face. Gintoki lazed on the couch despite being so excited seconds earlier.

The Yorozuya family did their best to recreate the chaos from back then. This attempt at normality tugged at the edges of Hijikata's lips, and small tears pricked at his eyes. He walked away to join Gintoki on the couch. Beside him, the silver perm had the faintest of smiles on his face, and Shinpachi and Kagura, while arguing over Sadaharu, had a similar expression. 

_ ‘Yeah. This is where it’s at.’ _

-

Year 15

"Thank you for the best present I've ever gotten." Gintoki Sakata-Hijikata whispered in his husband's ear ever so lightly. Toushirou Sakata-Hijikata blushed in response and held his husband's hand, the silver band clinking together.

"We're-we're both over forty now. I- I just thought it was about time." Toushirou looked in the other direction, avoiding Gintoki's gaze. Gintoki looked fondly at the other and wrapped his arms around him.

"Toushirou. If we're so old and mature, why won't you look at me? Hm?" Gintoki whispered, "Your eyes are beautiful, Toushirou. Let me see them for a bit." Toushirou shifted to look at Gintoki reluctantly, and the moment he held eye contact, he felt so bare. 

"Geez." Toushirou laid his head on Gintoki's shoulder. "You really do exaggerate too much." Softly, he grumbled, "They're not that pretty." Gintoki leaned in even closer.

"They are. They're the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

"Gintoki, don't you think it's kind of creepy how much attention you pay to my fucking eyeballs of all things?" He got off Gintoki's shoulder and gave him a look of judgment. However, the effect Toushirou was aiming for was underplayed due to the blush crawling up his neck.

"You love it. Don't lie to me! That's literally illegal! Aren't you a policeman? Are government dogs supposed to lie to citizens?" Gintoki wrapped his arms even tighter around the other, squeezing all resistance out.

"You big, fluffy idiot! Let go! I'll arrest you!" He hit Gintoki's arm in retaliation, flailing his legs around to break free. "Let go! It hurts! It hurts!"

"Tell me you love it when I pay attention to you, and I'll let go."

"No!" Gintoki squeezed harder. Toushirou kicked back in response and knocked the two of them over with Gintoki on top, still trying to crush his husband. "Stop it! Ah! Don't squeeze there-"

The door slammed open.

"Gin-chan! I'm home for the holi-" Kagura scanned the two men on the floor. "Shinpachi! Gin-chan is committing the sin of lust!" She shut the door on the way out and left the two men stone frozen and silent.

"You know. Toushirou, I'm feeling kind of stressed. Can you give me a kiss-"

"Shut it."

-

Year 27

"Is Kagura coming for Christmas?"

"Nah. She's helping out somewhere across the universe." A small amount of disappointment tinted his voice. "Mm. Oh well. I've got you either way." Gintoki reached out and held Toushirou's hand. "You won't leave me, huh?"

"Never." Toushirou leaned down and kissed the top of where their hands met.

-

Year 40 (Present Time)

Toushirou groans and stretches his arms up. The kotatsu became more dangerous as time flew by. How old is he now?

"Hm? Toushirou, you're awake now?" Gintoki sets down two cups of thick, rich hot chocolate and kisses the top of Toushirou's head. "You were asleep for a while. What d'ya dream about?"

"Nothin." Toushirou sips a small amount, closing his eyes and savoring the chocolate decadence Gintoki whipped up. Gintoki's ability to cook probably saved Toushirou's sanity more than he liked to admit. Everything the man made was disgustingly good, despite his lazy exterior. "Do we have any mayonnaise?"

"It's been- what?- forty years? How come you can't just enjoy my excellence like a normal fucking human being?" Toushirou just giggles in response. No matter how old they were, the couple just couldn't stop bickering over the smallest things. "What's so funny?!"

"Nothing! Just-" He giggled a little. "Hand over the mayo or I'll arrest you!" Toushirou grabs Gintoki's wrists and pretends to wrestle him.

"Uwah! Domestic violence! I'm getting too old for this shit!" Gintoki resists weakly for show and catches his lover's cheek by surprise. "Ew. Your cheek is wrinkly as hell."

"You're the asshole who kept harassing me over my pretty eyes all those years ago!"

"Woah. What ancient tomb did you dig that memory from? Don't tell me- Ohh." Something clicks inside Gintoki's head. "Were you dreaming of the past, my little Toushirou, my sweet dear, my adorable Oogushi?"

"What? No! I mean-" Toushirou flusters, his eyes shifting everywhere but Gintoki and red crawling up his shoulders. "I was dreaming about... ABOUT HOW STUPID YOU ARE!" Even though Toushirou is the one spouting nonsense, he is painfully aware of how embarrassing that line was. 

"If you say so," Gintoki mocks him, gets up, and waddles back to the kitchen. This time, Toushirou follows him. A pleasant scent of fried chicken surrounds Toshirou and drags him toward the source. Gintoki presents a large plate of unfried chicken to him. "Pretty tasty lookin' huh?"

"Yeah, it does." Toushirou can't bring himself to lie, the fragrances of garlic, sake, soy sauce, ginger overwhelming his nose and putting him in a trance-like state. "It smells really really good." He places a small kiss on Gintoki's wrinkly forehead in gratitude.

"Oh! Some rare praise from the infamous Demon Vice Commander! I better fry these up and see what I get when that demon tries my excellent holiday food!" Gintoki started prepping a small pot of oil to fry, using experience to measure when the oil was ready.

Ding Dong. Toushirou checks who is at the door.

"Ah! Toushirou-san!" Shinpachi bows at the door, taking off his shoes. "Where is Gin-san?"

"He's in the kitchen, whipping up something." Toushiro flicks his head in the direction of the kitchen. "I heard you got married recently."

"Mhm. It might be kind of a late marriage, but we love each other very much." Shinpachi moves aside to introduce his wife. "Please meet Megane-chan! Megane-chan, this is Toushirou-san."

"Shinpachi."

"Yes?"

"Is she literally just a pair of glasses?” Right behind Shinpachi is a pair of floating, pink glasses, emanating shyness.

“Shhh! That’s disrespectful! She’s very sensitive about her appearance. She’s so thin.” He sighs. “I keep trying to get her to eat more, but she just gets full too quickly.”

“TOSHI!” Kagura runs up to Toushirou and hugs him. “Huh? Did you get shorter, Toshi-chan?” Kagura had not aged a day over twenty. Her hair is the same bright red, eyes still bright blue with innocence, and skin perfectly smooth.

“Toushirou! Shinpachi! Kagura! Come eat!” Gintoki races back and forth from the kitchen to the kotatsu, setting down small plates of vegetables, bowls of rice, and a giant platter of fried chicken.

Everyone settles down under the kotatsu. Kagura drools out of the corner of her mouth, Shinpachi patiently waits for Gintoki to come, Megane-chan rests on the table, and Toushirou melts under the warmth. Gintoki finally comes to settle right next to Toushirou. Shinpachi introduces his wife all over again, blissfully unaware his wife is just a pair of pink glasses.

_ ‘Kagura has lost the ability to age, Shinpachi has a pair of glasses as a wife, and my love for this living dust ball has persisted for forty years. I can’t wait for next year.’ _

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! I hope this was at least readable.


End file.
